Living Donor Evaluation Process

Why It Matters

Understanding the rigorous evaluation and follow‑up process helps prospective donors make informed decisions and ensures ethical, safe liver transplants that expand the donor pool.

Key Takeaways

• Complete online registration confirming health, age, and support criteria.
• Independent Living Donor Advocate ensures no coercion or payment.
• Evaluation testing includes labs, CT/MRI, cardiac workup, covered by program.
• Approval may involve paired donation if blood type or size mismatched.
• Post‑surgery recovery requires 6‑week lift restriction, two‑year follow‑up.

Summary

The video outlines Johns Hopkins Hospital’s step‑by‑step living liver donor evaluation, guiding prospective donors through registration, testing, review, and pre‑operative phases.

Candidates must first register online, confirming age (18+), absence of cancer, infections, substance use, and a solid support network. An Independent Living Donor Advocate (ILDA) interview safeguards against coercion. The program covers all evaluation testing—fasting labs, CT and MRI scans of the abdomen, cardiac ultrasound, echocardiogram, EKG, and chest X‑ray—while any incidental medical work is billed to the donor’s insurance.

Donors receive a billing letter for evaluation tests and are instructed to maintain routine health care, including vaccines and screenings. The transcript stresses, “It is not ethical for you to be paid, pressured, or coerced into organ donation,” and explains that mismatched blood type or liver size may lead to a paired‑donation swap.

Final candidacy is decided after multidisciplinary review; approved donors schedule a six‑hour surgery with gallbladder removal, a 5‑7‑day hospital stay, and a strict post‑op regimen (no lifting over 10 lb for six weeks, no driving on narcotics). Ongoing monitoring extends for two years, underscoring the long‑term commitment required and the life‑saving impact of living liver donation.

Original Description

Considering becoming a living organ donor? In this video, the transplant team at Johns Hopkins Medicine explains the living donor evaluation process and what potential donors can expect. Learn about the step-by-step screening, medical testing, and consultations designed to ensure donation is safe for both the donor and the recipient. #livingdonor #johnshopkins #liverdonation

The evaluation typically includes an initial health screening, blood tests to determine compatibility, physical and psychological assessments, and imaging or other diagnostic tests to confirm the donor is healthy enough for surgery.

Our team is committed to supporting living donors every step of the way while prioritizing their health, safety and informed decision-making.

Learn more about transplant services at https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/transplant/programs/liver/living-donor-liver-transplant.